Stock Costume Traits

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Tertiary Sexual Characteristics occurs when stereotypical female elements are added to a character to demonstrate she is a woman. If you have a yellow circle, and you stick a bow on it, you instantly recognize the circle is a girl.

Stock Costume Traits is that concept, except as related to characteristics or professions rather than gender. You add some costume element onto a character, and that is the visual signal they have adopted that characteristic. For example, if the circle has a pipe and deerstalker hat, we know the circle is a detective; if it wears a monocle and top hat, we understand that yellow circle belongs to high society.

Cult Leader/Member: Traditionally, the dark or earth-toned robes of a monk or necromancer, with or without a hood, especially for "evil" cults. More modern cults will often feature some kind of New Age/Oriental style (saffron robe with Hare Krishna topknot, Nehru jacket) or just a white "Jesus" robe. Scientologists will usually appear in plain suits or "customer service" uniforms.

Disco Dan: Dapper suit, usually mostly in white. (This was being parodied as early as 1980, in Airplane!)

Firefighter: Black or brown heavy coat and pants, called turnouts,with yellow stripes on the arms and back of the coat and ankles of the pants, heavy black boots and helmet. The helmet is leather in older works, fire-resistant synthetics in newer ones. It has a number on the front to identify the fire station, and a overhang from the back, meant to keep water from going down the firefighter's back. For some reason, they often have the helmet on in some works even when they don't need it.

Heavy Metal Rocker: Hair almost always long, and usually feathered. Sometimes garish face-paint, as well as jungle animal prints on T-shirts or spandex. "Goth" or "barbarian" look (all-black, Spikes of Villainy) for extreme metal.

Hippie: Tie-dyed clothing and headband (though actual hippie clothing was usually less garish than this). Long hair. Beard on the men.

Magician: White tie and tails or tuxedo, often with a cape, white gloves, a slick handlebar mustache or an imperial beard, a white-tipped baton, and a black top hat with a bunny in it. Often there will be star and/or moon designs incorporated.

Martial Artist: White top and pants with a black belt; footwear optional.

Mayor: Often a beauty pageant sash with "MAYOR" printed on it. In pre-1970s depictions, also often a top hat for some reason. In the UK, a gold chain and possibly a tricorn hat, even in the present day. (More realistic depictions only have the hat on ceremonial occasions.)

Medieval Executioner: Dons a black hood that covers the head partially or whole. Wields either an axe, sword or a noose.

Mime: Striped shirt, white face with heavy rouge, beret.

Ninja: Black kabuki stagehand outfit (which they never wore) with face-concealing mask and/or headband. Or regular stuff. they're not meant to know you are a ninja.

Prisoner: Varies by era. For the mid-19th century through the 1920s, it's a black-and-white, horizontally striped jumpsuit and often a matching flat cap (sometimes also on modern prisoners, either for humiliation purposes or for comedy). For the 1930s through the 1960s, a light blue corduroy shirt, white undershirt, dark blue or black slacks, and a baseball-style cap. For any time from the 1970s to today, a loose-fitting jumpsuit in bright orange. Political prisoners will either still be in (usually ragged) military uniform or will be dressed as peasants.

Redneck/Southerner: Varies by time period and social status. The basic "poor farmer" look (at its extreme without a shirt and only one strap on the overalls) works well for any period prior to the mid-20th century. The Corrupt Hick version will usually be in a white or light-colored suit with the shirtsleeves rolled up, white Panama or straw hat, and a cigar. For examples from the 1970s and later, a baseball cap, jeans, and a hunting jacket will do; handlebar mustache and sideburns optional.

Reporter: A button-down with sleeves rolled up, tie at half-mast, and fedora with a card stuck in the band that says "media" or "press"; cigar optional.

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